Catherine E. Goldhaber

Shareholder

312.645.7910
312.645.7711 (fax)
cgoldhaber@smsm.com
233 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 5500
Chicago, IL 60606
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Catherine Goldhaber is a seasoned litigator who defends claims of injury from use of a product, injury from exposure to a toxic substance and injury from transportation-related incidents. She counsels numerous clients in Medicare Secondary Payer issues, particularly as the issues arise throughout discovery and in case resolution. The Defense Research Institute (DRI) recently appointed Ms. Goldhaber to its MSP Task Force, which provides updates and resources to understand the laws that affect claims and litigation involving claimants who may be Medicare beneficiaries.

Clients frequently retain Ms. Goldhaber for her extensive knowledge of methods to avoid and/or lessen the impact of litigation. Ms. Goldhaber handles matters directly in Illinois and Michigan and manages multi-state litigation. In helping businesses resolve disputes, her goal is to provide clients with an objective "big picture" while keeping track of the minute details, resulting in cost-effective case management.

Ms. Goldhaber is Chair of Segal McCambridge's Pro Bono and Public Service Committee. Before joining Segal McCambridge, Ms. Goldhaber was an Assistant State's Attorney for Cook County.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

  • Appointed to DRI's MSP Taskforce.
  • Victorious in trial on behalf of client involving sales of insulation to decedent's jobsite in which plaintiff's counsel asked jury for $3.5 million. Ms. Goldhaber received finding for defendant that resulted in no payment.
  • Obtained dismissal with prejudice on behalf of an international hotel chain. The plaintiff had sought damages from Ms. Goldhaber's client based upon its relationship as franchisor to a hotel at which the plaintiff had been a guest. Ms. Goldhaber successfully obtained a ruling that the plaintiff had not shown that the franchisor/franchisee relationship established a duty of care on the part of the franchisor vis-a-vis the franchisee's hotel guest.
  • Selected to serve on subcommittee regarding Medicare Case Management Order for Michigan's Circuit Court for the County of Wayne.
  • As lead attorney, successfully obtained relief from $585,000 judgment against client prior to the firm's retention. Ms. Goldhaber further obtained a 100% award of all attorney fees and costs, including future attorney fees, eliminating all of her client's costs.
  • Obtained summary judgment for flooring manufacturer despite product identification in a St. Louis City asbestos-related matter.
  • Serves on National Coordinating and Trial Counsel teams for two corporations defending asbestos claims throughout the country.
  • Provides pro bono representation to minors in guardianship proceedings in the Circuit Court of Cook County though her work with the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services.

EDUCATION

Michigan State University, B.A., 1995, with Honors
Loyola University Chicago School of Law, J.D., 1999

BAR ADMISSIONS

Illinois, 1999
Michigan, 2004
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2002
U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 2007
Trial Bar for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 2010

SPEECHES AND PUBLICATIONS

Author

  • Contributor, Segal McCambridge blog.
  • Author, "Why We Care About Medicare," course materials for DRI's Asbestos Medicine Seminar 2011.
  • Co-author, "New Mandatory Reporting Requirements for all Liability Insurance Plans and Self-Insureds," Segal McCambridge's Toxic Tort Newsletter, Volume 8, Issue 2 (Fall 2009).
  • Author, "State Law Updates," Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney's Toxic Tort Newsletter, Volume 7, Issue 1 (Winter 2008).
  • Co-author, "Federal Agency Records: Restricting Their Discovery and Use in Product Liability Litigation," DRI's Strictly Speaking Newsletter (January 2006).
  • Author, "Justice for All: Young Professionals Take Lead in Foundation's 'Meet the Need' Campaign," CBA Record, Volume 19, Number 7 (October 2005).
  • Co-author, "FOIA Disclosures:  Restricting Their Discovery and Use by Opposing Counsel," Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney's Toxic Tort Newsletter, Volume 4, Issue 1 (Spring 2005).
  • Co-author, "Chapter 7: Group Dynamics" in Jury Selection: Strategy and Science, 2nd Edition, Clark Boardman Callaghan (West Group) [as Catherine Boyd].

Speaker

  • "Complex Lien Resolution in Personal Injury Settlements," Oak Brook, IL (December 2013).
  • Client Retreat, "Corporate Roundtable" Hilton Head, SC, (panelist) (May 16, 2013).
  • "Medicare Secondary Payer Act Local Counsel Training," Sonoma, CA (April 24, 2013).
  • "Medicare Secondary Payer Act and Toxic Torts," coordinated through Perrin Conferences for client, Manchester, NH (April 17, 2013).
  • "Medicare Secondary Payer Act Concerns," half-day seminar for client, Hartford, CT (March 12, 2013).
  • Asbestos Defense Strategic Summit, "Medicare - What Defense Attorneys Should Be Looking for When Settling a Case," Miami Beach, FL (co-presenter with Malini Ireland) (November  7, 2012).
  • NBI's Liability Medicare Set-Aside Workshop: 2012 Update, Indianapolis, IN (October 19, 2012).
  • "Medicare Secondary Payer Basics," presented to client, Indianapolis, IN (October 18, 2012).
  • NBI's Medicare Set-Aside Workshop 2012 (webcast), "Ethics and Medicare Set-Asides" (June 22, 2012).
  • Client Retreat, "Medicare Secondary Payer Update" Hilton Head, SC, (co-presenter) (May 17, 2012).
  • Perrin Conferences, Cutting-Edge Issues in Asbestos Litigation, "Medicare Panel," Beverly Hills, CA (March 1-2, 2012).
  • Perrin Legal Webinar Series: "An Update on the Latest Guidance on Medicare Secondary Payer Issues - Making Every Second Count" (February 16, 2012).
  • Focused In-House CLE, "Settling Cases and Ensuring Compliance with MSP/MMSEA," New York City (January 31, 2012).
  • NBI's Medicare Set-Asides in Personal Injury Settlements (webcast) (December 15, 2011 and February 22, 2012).
  • DRI's Asbestos Medicine Seminar, Las Vegas, NV, "Why We Care About Medicare" (co-presenter) (November 10, 2011).
  • Firm-wide CLE, "Settling Cases and Ensuring Compliance with MSP/MMSEA" (September 30, 2011).
  • Perrin Conferences, 2011 Asbestos Litigation Conference: A National Overview and Outlook, "Medicare Update: The Impact of Medicare Reporting Rules on Asbestos Litigation," San Francisco, CA (panelist) (September 21, 2011).
  • Perrin Conferences, Navigating the Medicare Secondary Payer Statute in Workers' Compensation & Liability Claims, Beverly Hills, CA, "Current Hot Issues (Mass Torts)" (panelist) (March 2, 2011).
  • Perrin Conferences, Navigating the Medicare Secondary Payer Statute in Workers' Compensation & Liability Claims, New York, NY, "Current Hot Issues (Mass Torts)" (panelist) (December 3, 2010).
  • DRI's Asbestos Medicine Seminar, "Medicare - How Plaintiffs, Clients and the Government Address Recent Developments Regarding Repayment and Reporting," (moderator) and "Asbestos Medicine 102 - Depositions of Critically Ill Plaintiffs and How to Address Lack of Memory Issues" (panelist) (November 11, 2010).
  • Firm-wide CLE on compliance with and strategies relating to Section 111 of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (MMSEA) (P.L. 110-173) (September 17, 2010).
  • Perrin Conferences, Asbestos Litigation Conference: A National Overview and Outlook, "Keeping the Profession Professional - A Panel Discussion on Ethics in Asbestos Litigation" (September 13-15, 2010).
  • DRI's Asbestos Medicine Seminar, "The Latest and Greatest Plaintiff, Defendant and Non-Party Investigation" (November 12-13, 2009).
  • Perrin Conferences' Asbestos Litigation Conference: A Comprehensive National Overview and Outlook, "Women in Business Breakfast Roundtable," (September 14-16, 2009).
  • BVR Legal Teleconference, "Managing Your Time Effectively" (December 5, 2008).
  • DRI Asbestos Medicine Seminar, Panel Discussion: "New Plaintiff and Product Investigation - For the Novice, the Experienced and Everyone Else" (November 2007).
  • DRI Asbestos Medicine Seminar, Panel Discussion: "The Asbestos Deposition Primer" (October 2006).

PUBLISHED APPELLATE OPINIONS

In re M.R., 316 Ill.App.3d 399, 736 N.E.2d 167, 249 Ill.Dec. 325, Ill.App. 1 Dist., Aug 31, 2000_[as Catherine Boyd]
In re K.S., 317 Ill.App.3d 830, 740 N.E.2d 425, 251 Ill.Dec. 344, Ill.App. 1 Dist., Nov 09, 2000_[as Catherine Boyd]

PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

American Bar Association
Defense Research Institute
Chicago Bar Foundation, Member, Board of Directors (2009-2012); Co-Chair, 12th Annual Fall Benefit (2008); Past-President of Young Professionals Board (2005-06)
Chicago Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section, Executive Council Member (2003-05) 
Illinois State Bar Association
Michigan Bar Association

OTHER HONORS

Recognized as a Michigan Super Lawyers Rising Star, nominated and selected by peers in the legal community and awarded to the top 2.5% of lawyers under the age of 40 in Michigan (2012)
Honors-at-Entrance Scholarship recipient and a CIVITAS ChildLaw Fellow at Loyola University College of Law
Selected for Loyola's Appellate Honors Program and London Comparative Advocacy Program
Second Best Brief Award and finalist team member in Chicago Bar Association's 1997-98 Moot Court Competition Advocacy Program.

Practice Areas

Recent News, Articles & Publications